Wow Long Time No Posting

Can't get over how long it's been since I last posted. Quick Catch Up---
Baby girl turned 29 on the 17th! We celebrated on the 19th with family meal here.

On Sat. the 18th we went to Surry to the Pork, Pine & Peanut Festival. Not sure if I got the order of the names correct. It has been a favorite show of ours for years. Held on Chippokes Plantation on the James River. Usually hotter than blazes but this year the weather was wonderful and in the shade with a breeze almost chilly. HOWEVER, huge disappointment this year. The craft vendors were way down and of course the ones we loved NOT there. And the biggest disappointment was FOOD. Always great. BUT this year the family we always bought ham sandwiches...REAL SMITHFIELD HAM...and the most wonderful Apple Jacks and Sweet Potato Jacks WERE NOT THERE!!! And a Hunt Club who did curly pig-tail fries they cut there from fresh potatoes were NOT THERE...they had good hot dogs and other foods too. I kept asking around the food vendors if they had applejacks or sweet potato jacks and was finally directed to the only booth there selling them. WELL let me TELL you they were AWFUL The crust/pastry part was thick, heavy and bread like NOT the FLUFFY pie crust like that local family always made. That booth did have Real Smithfield Ham sandwiches so all was not a bust.

Baby girl and her three baby girls went with us and the 3 and 2 year old had a blast. The 10 mo old enjoyed it too. A great petting zoo set up and the blow up jumping things were a hit with them. I found two booths one had hair bow/clips and one had large bead bracelets and the two oldest little ones picked out a few they had to have which Nana bought.

Normally I buy a lot of gifts there and stuff for myself but not this year. Only a new welcome slate with flip-flops painted on it to go in my sign by the light pole which I change out seasonally and when the mood strikes me. Much easier on my wallet this year for sure. But a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT FOR SURE! At this rate I don't see it being around much longer. Normally huge crowds and this year way down. Used to be $5 a car now $5 a person over 10. And have idea what they charge vendors have gone up too...going to ask my childhood friend who displays her paintings there and wasn't there this year...Afraid those running it are pricing it out of existence.

Last week we and oldest grandson (15-1/2 years old) took a QUICK trip down to OBX ---we ran around from Duck to Manteo. We had a good time. ATE too much GOOD food. Got some shopping in.
OBX for those not familiar with this area on the East Coast is the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Been taking in the final games of the season of the Coastal League Baseball team the Peninsula Pilots! This is last week of the home games held here at the historic War Memorial Stadium. This season has flown by way too fast.

And the bummer is our telephone has been out now for over 10 that's right ten days. Out a day before I got to neighbors to call. Was told be here in ten days which by the way is today--Tuesday, July 28th of July. HOWEVER, last Thursday a Tech showed up and said problem not in house as I already knew as no service at the box on the outside of the house either. He went to the junction box a few blocks away, did something there but he not from this area so didn't have key to get into another box to check something else he felt was wrong. Came back here to make sure my phone and DSL working. Now my DSL has worked most of the time during this except at nights it acts up. Everything was working. That is for two hours it worked. Then goes out again. Get call from them the next morning automated one and I do what it says to get an agent that the problem still exists. Back on list for today. Two calls from daughter's house got in but most just rings and rings on her end but not here in house. Got three automated calls from the telephone company and two telemarketers got through. After a call gets through it works from 10 minutes to two hours and goes dead. Sunday a tech shows up and runs tests and says problem either in lines coming down street and to house or a card in box at the junction box a few blocks away. He goes to switch out card if bad and if not bad will be back. To my knowledge never came back. Sunday night get call phone is fixed a card replaced but that time the phone was dead. I call from daughters three times that night...told problem was in my house to unplug all wires from all jacks and all electrical plugs where phones and or answering machines are plugged in as well as all computers and modems. Wait five minutes and test the box outside. It was dead. Call back...this brain child of someone tells me she just ran a test and it is showing up my Direct TV is causing the problem I asked her how was that she said the satellite wiring into the house. I asked how could that be as I don't have Direct TV or any satellite TV service. Then it was my modem. How can that be it's unplugged still. My cellular phone charger is causing it. Don't have a cellular phone much less a charger for it. My cordless phone that doesn't connect with a jack just to electricity causing it. Don't have one of those either "sweetcakes". AND the box OUTSIDE is DEAD. Service isn't getting into the box outside the house. Well, she'll have TECH come out FRIDAY.....Did you see the steam coming out of the top of my head??? I told her I had been down for Tuesday for over a week now and I wanted Tuesday back they had been here twice and still not fixed the problem. Well I apologize that you have been out of service and a credit as been issued to your account. I told her well that is all find and dandy but I was sorry but she and heaven only knows how many other people by now at least a dozen people have apologized but that still didn't fix the problem with my phone service. And here I sit with still no phone service.

I was told my DSL isn't as sensitive and enough is getting through to run it but not give dial tone for phone service.

GUESS who is about to get a NEW phone service provider if something isn't done quick!